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.Dec. 8; 1931. H, CHRiS-HANSEN 1,835,142

GAS LIGHTER AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1926 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES HANS CHRISTIAIYVSEN, or LYNN, MASSAGHI ISET'IS, ASSIGNORfIO- Gno. J. KELLY, Inc, {I or ynn, massncmrsnrrsn conrona'rron or MASSACHUSETTS Fig. dis a plan view of the charge or on account of thecost thereof, replacement Of Fig. 1.2 V V V Fig.3 is a view on.-a larger scale than PATENT OFF-ICE,

'GAS'ILIGHTER ANn'rrrE LIKE Application filed Apri l 15,

niters or lighters of the classdesigned for use in igniting combustible gas, vapor,'or liquid by means of'sparks produced through relative movement between pyrophoric material and an abrading or cutting device while engaged with each other. To a considerable extent in practice the pyrophoric material that is employed is an alloy, suchas an alloy 7 ment of the one thereof with reference to the other is caused to take place particles of the alloy are detached in the formof sparks. "Each time this action occurs, some ofthe material of the-block of alloy is worn away,

and inasmuch as the block is a small one soon becomes necessary. r p V The general object of theinvention is to make provision for convenient and ready ap plication of a charge ofpy'rophoric material to the support therefor constituting an ele-. nient ofan igniter' or lighter; 'also'for cone 'venient. detachment of theremnant of the wormout charge and equallyconvenient applicatlon of a fresh 'or reserve charge; and

also for securing-retention of thecharge in working relations with the sai'd suppo'rt after being applied thereto, -without annoyance and inconvenience due to accidental disconnection or displacement of the charge when the .igniter or lighter is operated. The invention is illustrated in the drawings; in which, V

Fig.1 is a side'elevation of a gas lighter of one of theforms to which the invention is applicable. I 1

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the gas lighter Figs. 1 and '2, showing a portion of asup' -po'rting arm, partly in section, and a charge or cartridge' of pyrophoric material applied to said arm, and illustrating the invention.

cartridge of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a view thereof with the block of is of the same constructional type as that' as in other devices of'this'ch aracter. The

1926. Serial no. 102,340. 7 V Fig. 6 is a view thereof with the holder in vertical section;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a charge or cartridge of modified construction.

pyrophoric material in vertical sections Fig. 9 is a plan view of the charge or cartridge ofFigs. 7- and 8. a The gas lighter shown in Figs. 1 and shown andldescrib ed in U. S; Letters Patent No. 1,183,491,-dated Mayl6,"191,6. As in the said patent, the device comprises a piece ofspring wire, bent toprovide a pair of approximately parallel arms a, b, connected'by an intermediate coil 0, the tension of which acts with a tendency to throw the 'free ends of the arms away from each other, while the coil permits said arms to be relatively swung,

arm a is provided with a thumb-piece d, pro- :duced by forming a coil in'the wire, so that whenjthedevice is held in ones hand foruse, with the palm of the hand resting on the upper side of the arms,'pressure may be apr plied conveniently by the thumb against thumb-piece d, to press thearms transversely toward each other, the portion of said arms between the thumb-piece and the coil 0 thus acting as ahand-hold The arm b-has applied to the free'end thereof the charge or cartridge of pyrophoric material, and the transversely bent free extremityi of the arm a has mounted revolubly thereon the abrader [W constituted by the round file j. The tension of the wire keeps the block g, in Figs. 1 to -65, g, in Figs. 7- to 9) of pyrophoric material 1n contact with the abrading surface of the file, and also, normally, atone endofthe file as in"Fig'. 2,-and'suchtension acts to i return the parts transversely to the relative armstoward each other, followed by relaxv ati'on'of such pressure. Inthe relative-movement of the blockof pyrophoricmaterial and file back and forth lengthwise of the file,the

, sparkingis produced through the detaching of small'particles of such material." "At his shown the sheet-metal gas-deflecting plate which is provided above the abrader j. As thus far described, the construction is as heretofore.

Preferably, in carrying the invention into effect, the holder 7 is formed with a cup, as shown best by the sectional view Fig. 6, which receives within it, and grips exteriorly, one end of the block, 9, of pyrophoric material. The said end of the block seats itself against the bottom surface within the cup. Such block, and the cup, are represented as cylindrical, but in practice they may be of any convenient and advantageous shape in crosssection. In Figs. 7 to 9 the block, g, of pyrophoric material is made with a hole through it. and the holder f is formed with a stem which occupies the said hole. The block g seats itself against a shoulder 7 which is provided on the holder at the base of the said stem.

The block, 9 or g, and its holder, f or f, constitute a charge or cartridge of pyrophoric material.

The holder f or f is combined with the block g, because in practice the block itself is so small that if separate and loose it would be liable to loss. Also, it. would be inconvenient to manipulate, and disconnectible direct attachment of the same to the support, in this instance the wire arm 5, soras to remain firmly seated in connection therewith in a working stroke, would be difficult of effective accomplishment. By combining the holder with the blockof pyro'phoric'material I provide a charge or cartridge of a size, character, etc., facilitating handling thereof, and also facilitating adaptation of the charge or cartridge for being conveniently connected with the supporting arm 6, as well as for being effectively and firmly seated in connection therewith so as to ensure that the block of pyrophoric material shall remain in proper working union with such arm during working movements of the said block and the abrader with relation to each other. e

In accordance with the invention I provide the holder (f or f as the case may be) with a tang f and I form the support (represented herein by the arm 7)) with a socket, adapted to receive the said tang, the said tang occupying and fitting the said socket in manner very similar to that in which the root of a tooth fits its socket or sheath. The charge or cartridge is provided with a shoulder, f (Figs. 3, 4, or 7 (Figs. 7 and 8) extending outward contiguous to the basal portion of the tang, which in some cases is adapted, through contact with the surface of the support, at the side of the latter at which the block of pyrophoric.material is located, to restrain the charge or cartridge from being tilted transversely by reason of its contact with the abrader, as a result of relative movement of the block and abrader length wise of the latter. In Figs. 3, 5, 6, this shoulder is formed by a portion of the body of the holder which is larger in diameter than the base of the tang. In Figs. 7 and 8 the shoulder is constituted by a portion of the lower end of block 9 projecting radially beyond the base of the tang. In the case of both of these forms the shoulder is annular and extends around the charge or cartridge.

'The form of the tang may vary in practice. One special feature of the invention consists in a tang Which tapers toward the free end thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 8. This shape of the tan facilitates insertion of the tang into the socket therefor in the support. It also enables the tang to be wedged firmly within the said socket. It

,as just described, it and the socket provided for its reception in the support will be pro- .portioned with respect to each other, ordinarily, so that the tang will be permitted to assume a tight fit in the socket while the shoulder f or f is still slightly separated from the top surface of the support. See Fig. 3.

Another feature of invention consists in a support constituted by a wire arm I) having its free terminal portion flattened, with a return bend of said flattened portion, and with the returned part b, of said flattened portion in the same vertical plane with the other, and with the two parts separated by an intervening space. Holes 5 b registering with each other are made in the two parts, in this instance with the same taper continued through both holes so that the latter conjoint-1y provide a tapered socket for the tapered tang of the holder. To provide for the said taper the upper hole, 6 is larger than the lower hole, Z). The vertical separation of the two parts of the support from each other gives a total length to the socket which increases the stability of the charge or cartridge during the transverse movements of the arms a, Z). Disengagement of the charge or cartridge from the socket may be facilitated, when desired, by pinching the parts of the support vertically toward each other. By this operation the tapered tang will be partially freed in the larger portion of the tapered socket.

As will be apparent, a charge or cartridge like either of those shown in Figs. 3 to 9 may be appliedconveniently and quickly to a sup port, 6, of an igniter or lighter, by pushing the tang, f into the socket with which such support is provided. It will remain securely in place, without tendency to tip or be dragged out through engagement with the abrader in the relative transverse movements one above the other, holes occur after the arm I) has beendepresse'd from its position in Fig. 1 until the said arm, and a charge or-cartridge carried thereby, or an exhausted holder 7, as the case may be, have or has been moved down far enough to clear the side-flange of gas-deflector plate 70. A similar depression of arm 6 will'permit it to clear said arm in being swung laterally inward again into its working position in Figs. 1 and 2.

The free end or tip of the tang projects through the hole, in the bent-back portion 6' of the support. To safeguard said free end or tip from such contact with other objects as might operate to drive the tang endwise out of the socket, or loosen it therein, the extremity of the bent-back'portion b of the support is'bent downward so as to form a lip 6 close alongside the said projecting free end or tip, the said free end or tip. 7

What is claimed as the invention is 1. An igniter or lighter implement comprising anabrader, a carrier-arm movable relative to the abrader for a spark-producing operation, said carrier-arm having a socket opening therethrough, and a pyropho'ric charge or cartridge occupying said socket with the tip of the'charge or cartridge proj ecting through, the pressure-contact between charge or cartridge and abrader tending to press the former home into the socket, with said arm furnished alongside thesocket with a shield for the said tip located so as to permit the tip to project and also so as to permit free access to the tip for the purpose of ejection of the charge or cartridge from the socket.

2. A renewal charge or cartridge for a pyrophoric igniter or lighter comprising a block of pyrophoric material and a holder having a cup within which said block is imsaid lip constituting a shield for pyrophoric material and a holder having a cup within which said block is immovably fixed, and having a portion adapted toenter and be retained in the lighter through a Wedging engagement with both sides of a bend formed on the lighter.

' HANS GHRISTIANSEN.

movably fixed and having a conical tang for I mounting it in such igniter or lighter.

3. In a pyro-phoric igniter or lighter, the combination with an abrader of a wire arm having its free terminal portion flat and formed with a return bend and the two contiguous parts separated and in parallelism, registering with each other in the said two parts of said returnbend portion, and a pyrophoric charge or cartridge'having a tang which occupies both of said holes, and is held by friction from lengthwise displacement therefrom.

l. A renewal charge or cartridge for a pyrophoric lighter comprising a block of 

